justices so sweetly spilt
by Minaj-a-twah
Summary: compleately redone i decoded one had to go in this season and ot was one several people mightve liked


**_the following takes place five years after the original mission by the moon and stars transfixed the mind of silverwing loaw okar kahuakhaun. peace has once again crept ascross the nest now reruled by copperwingthefury. danger still lurks out there in the inexplicably retaining tainted mind of one last night fury follower vowing to come back with an army of night furys to sow revemge. and one other soom to use miltairy surgical strategy like never before to test against the forces of peace and neutrality. these are their stories._**

At last the rough and tumble army was out on the march. Taking its nod-worthy arsonel of hard worked battlattilia with it. siege towers catapults, all the heavy cruel weaponry dealt by Alvin the treacherous village. The brunt of the leather-clad, viking helemerted, Grim faced grimy young men cane Curtisy of daurr the deranged berserker village. Together they made the alliance to flatten the village of peacefully run vork the bolds dragon friendly visya. Rumorsd been circling round for some time about that unfortunate development recently. A stupid bragger of the traditional viiking mold of that settlermentd spilled everything when the outcast chief "Had alitt;e talj" with him. However it wasn't him par sat that garnered the choefs attention. This whole match bet one pone of his captured compensations, thrown in one of alvins dank opressing dungeons. The extremely nonthreatening curly haired teenager was deceptively intelligent, anvil noted. His study of the boy riding a dragon confirmed it. A freak accident of a rare "nert furt" not blasting his men to Valhalla captured, thrown into that same cell to have it eat their captives presumably, turned out to be anything but.

That fascinated alvin to no end. a "de-nadd" assault of his village allowed them to escape on that 'nert furts' back (another story night of the fury) . it as quite a sight if ambitious alvin to recall that scene. It made him very passionate. Passionate enough to firm a pact wirth his enemy dagur of the berserkers to find his answer at borks settlement...and the boy. The rest of its inhabitants could go up like matchsticks. he knew his enemy, as did his ally. throw in something the berserkers desperately wanted as a show of absolute power for thier deranged tribe and they fell right in line. It put him an vast advantage in this pact and hed use it to its last meaty entirety for the berserkers. Dagur walked round an in rhe way griyop of outcasts, in full battle armor, pushing a heavy war catapult in all the hardcore battle avins men could offer to join the chieftain himself. "

oie you ready ta knock some helmeted heads and slice some fingers like melons? Remind me ogf da time me was pout in da far wastern ocean" recalled the hulking vikiking grinning to talk of old times as something to do while marching. "lettin the red flow like squashed tomatoes beneath the point f me siwtrd. Some survy poirates thought they an' more civilized fellas then us outcasts on boat 'em sea dogs felt since they had seaworthy vessels they could make as merry trips to me shores and swindle valuables from one of our patrol posts. No one messes with the treacherous. Thats a great victory for us vikings. But we knew da sea as much as we knew da land, when we was trough-with em they never pilfered out bordrs again." Dagur swiped his trusty axe through the air. Imagining cutting into imaginary opponents." shame, thats not impressive enough, al; its got to be something spectacular. Ingenious! And altogether head lopping awesomeness, cant say the same for that. now there was this awesome white nert furt my men last captured in the forest..." it would be a long march.

* * *

"okay stormfly. Spine shot. you know were in the air." "bud aim for the spines when they at the highest mark." We met drago bluvists ruthless army out exploring in the far frozen north. We dont want to make the same mistake, do we?" "meatlug we are so into this practicing thing arnt we?" "barf! Bletch! stop looking at us like were tasty sheep and participate why dontcha? The action is over there. No dont spark at us. _Were_ not the target. Those painted villagers are over there." "common hookfang. Get your butt over here. Hookie? Are you listening to me? **Hookfang!"** far out of te known reaches of our story, where it would take incredible willpower to cross its ocean, was a village buiit of the hearts of hardened men. were it sometimes snowed the way here so cold it gave frostbite to the spleen. A land where the toughened mens hearts and women that were sort of men with all that chest hair, could find a time to lighten up from time to time. Dragons!

This village, as you can see, had fout them like every other settlement in fear. But over the time a certain lanky armed boy, kind of like a john blueflame, grew curious. Made a bolas contraption with dexterous little fingers. Captured a dragon of the rarest species all his own that fell off raven point and changed that villages way of life as they knew ot. Hiccup horrendous haddock the third teached his people al that he knew, acceptance and patience or understanding that people could change their ways to accommodate natures creations, but not alone he and his 'nert furt' toothlessd done that as a team. Who knows why of all dragons hiccup tried to catch turned out to be the rarest of them all. Or how pinpoint accurate his shotd been, but hiccup was grateful their bondage friendship became so blended in harmony. Rider and beast knew eatchother, beast and rider. Just like all the other dragons riders out there bonded to eatchother of their dragons. Their chiefd eventually fallen in with the proud nature f thier lot and got one himself too, a scarab faced likeness of a dragon, skull-crusher.

Hiccups gangd met the fearsome ebil madman drago bludvist and they needed all the help they could get, even though he hoped to change dragos mind some day. "hey babe are you paying any attention? Stormflys about to shoot her spines for toothless top blast." The voice in question came from his recently noticed blond haired attractive girlfriend astrid of the hofferson family. They'd firmed this attraction over the course months until itd cobbled together into something that included an awkward undermentioned affection for eatchother. Teased and attempted hitting on by snoutlout of the jorgensoin family name and his addetutal reed scaled monstrous nightmare dragon hookfang. Not that astrid would have any of his kooky snarky tries in the first place. Noob. Her trusty "de nadd" stormfly, a female with as much strict vanity as her go-time rider, readied her spikes. Unlike the last encounter with deadly nadders encounter with night furuys this onme was different and smarter then those, of still speaking broken dragonic like all her species.

"are we sure about this" asked Earnest innocent rider fisghlegs as stormfly hurled three darts styright up out of harms way " i mean if drago bludvist diesnt like wgat we are about to try tp make him see reason like you want him too hiccup him afraid he would take his hunters to us to wuips us all out. He has the dedcated me to do it hiccup. Were six _tamed_ dragon riders! six including stoick. Thayts not counting all the villagers weve gort and tuer dragons. one of thesed know what to do kbow in a crusys sitatin. Do we really wasn't to invoke dragos wrath?" hiccup tussled his hair in a gesture of light exasperation, gesturing at his harnessed nert fury to fire a fureball. "well be fine fishlegs weve been over this. He just needs to see dragons are kind amazing creatures." "did drago bloody his fist on your face? Or did he poke that hooked end of his curled spear through your ear put the other side? I invite you to come over here to hookfang and ask him that" grumbled snotloout, watching toothlesses projectile nail as expected the Nadder spines some ways in the air. "again stormfly. We must be ready for anything" instructed astrid, pointing.

"if you ask me you take yourself too seriously and too hard. Relax and take a mans opinion astrid. Thor knows you need it." He leaned back against hookfangs ruby wing crossing his thuggish arms happily smiling a smug smile. "yah well loki be glad i didnt ask." Said astrid over her sholdier joining hiccups side. "in my experience thrtes never a saying that one cannot be overpreared. Saved us from alot of near death experiences and surely future ones. One of us has got to be anyway." Tuffnit and riuffbut gestured wildly with their arms near their green two headed two in tghier teenage years were fyull of trouble just waiting to erupt. "let the notlus speak, dear astrod. The gift of musles suits him well. He has a smart brain up there somewhere, hes just bringing ut out to play." Said through naughty smiles. Snotlout didnt notice."yah you two brainiacks should step aside and let the gifted people do the leadership brave heroic things that vikings do for a change." The supervision of training dragons hiccup as astrid observed accurate.

"yah your way would have us flying openly into a hail of arrows snotlout. Astrid has a point." "of course she does" smiled the teen muttering obsenitioes under his breath "jusy because shes attractive and blonde doesn't make all her opinions spot on oh her opinions _your_ opinions." the might have been a time when that garnrd a response, but growing up defending their land with five others, you learned their habits. "hey is that skullcrusher and its chief coming this way?" squeaked fishlegs. Indeed t was. Thier chief stikck the vast atop skullcrusher. "you five! Mount your beasts and come with me!" he held up a meaty hand with a good deal of hair on the bck of ot. "a few lookouts including solemt sphen habve seem something and reported rt to me. Yo might want to take a look at it. It could be an invasion from thew tribe of the whispering trees. Not long afgo theyd had to tke the old fashioned way, waking through the uits and cottages to get where they needed to go. That and the impending dragon attack that swept upon them suddenly. Now it came so much easier with them flying there. Ruffnut and tuffnut could be heard grumbling this better be worth it. Following stoick through the village on dragonback seeing what the village lookouts reported seeing on the beach, oh it was definably worth it.

* * *

loaw dagny perseverin, sub leader now that _she_ was in charge containing plans not how a proper leader should directly act, sat on the edge of the cliffs. letting the inbound sea air tussle various parts of her including her white and blue striped ear frills. she sighed. It was more then time the enemy was gone. Yet still they had to put up with them., things never going Right, some dragon swooping in to save the day. Vanquished long ago. Why couldn't they just go away already and stop demolishing everything they tried to erect? This time, abandoning fresh monstrous nightmares descending on the nest furys nest directly (another story nightmare of a problem), her plans work. Shed seen a giant of an ocean dweller that wasn't a whale or a shark during her first time as second leader to the god protector whom she served, out during her time utilizing the skill shed captured.

Pity she hadnt brought that one with her instead of half loyal night furys, when journeying out to personally kill mettlesome Nona. both her nemnacys and the skrill were dead as far as she knew. no oned become unfortunately the third leader to replace perseverin as loaw perna marrowsaneer snodussen. Thatd be a day of reckoning loaw dagny never forgot, linked to the moon or not. she was a bit murderously wiser then that now. True: killing monstrous nightmares who possessed it seemed no conscience, no morals, but burn in flames was loaw dagnys kind of ideals. But these beasts didnt have the gall to defy the god protector. Her own kind did. Shed satisfied her killing appetite by slaying happily enough of these things, joined with her enemy to do it. Enough playing around! Enough of aranidaes mind games and ontonyceterys waiting fir all her pieces to come together to accomplish things. **Now** mattered! **Now** was when the enemy was at their weakest. **Now** was when perseverind glimpsed whst ot appeared the entire nest fled south, over this sea scape. they shouldn't be making alliances with thier enemy against the nightmare horde. They should be standing by, letting the tred attackers pick off the furys one by one.

When the weakd been weed out, the furys left could have a choise. Side with them and remember themselves to stop acting like frightened Buffalo, or let the nightmares finish the job to its firy conclusion. Loaw dagny admitted she had faults. she wasn't all powerful, and nether were the other two. Only the moon was that. Shed done some stupid thoughtless things in the past. But wasnt her reason for being bonded to her master again because it wanted her to learn from those? give her one more chance? Was this a test? Was the moon willing to endow three leaders purposely? So one could prove above the others and rose? Lead followers like okar and that disgraced wretched beauty loaw shar versel did as a pair? Could that be what this all about? Loaw dagnys sharp eyes scoured the sea searching endlessly ahead of where she sat. Her scarred eye twiched keenly.

"well if thats the case my master i shall rise above the other two. I may be disgraced now but i wont soon. Not with this beast at my command. aranidae may be charms and glamour, veen may have the hearts of the night furys. Let them hath against me. For i may have lost my skrill and my once loyal followers, swayed to deceased snodussens side, practically had everything i had and worked for taken away from me. But this creature so enormous it blot out the sky once i saw how massive its tan wingspan was i shall change that all. Absolute terror in the eyes of my enemy and my leaders. If the nightmares still abound, one exhalation of this thing will obliterate them into a rain of red scales. Savory." She brought herself back to reality. The idead popped into her mind before the red sun set yesterday on a heated battle last she recalled oy night furys against nightmare, with the last one winning. Why she disbanded that battle and that corny alliance with korin. Let the sides take tier risks. Perseverin felt she was a soldier of sorts born and raised in the vermilion of cold long wars. She knew her way around.

She liked to see aranidae if the sooth talking wretch were around try and connive this creature out of the sea to talk. Airy chat indeed: he was as bad as versel. Wht these things needed wa a show of power, brutality and force. That was how beings knew who was in charge. She couldn't wait to show this things mind the true power of her masters enlightenment. what vexed the albino dragoness cane the sught of all the nest furys, all these potential breeders of darkness, flying away across where loaw dagny stood across the sea. Whastd occurred back at that nest? She steeled herself; she really hated the water . (another story our very darkest hour) even though fighting tooth and talon to their hardest over the ocean waters was a worthy match shortly before she became snodussen from nona, perseverin hadnt fallen into the waters. only when a victorious loaw perna blasted her over the side thanks to a well placed fireball top the undertummy, her followers standing there being extremely unhelpful, did she meet her maker. For a time anyway. By then shed been made a fool, blind to the needs of the stars. She hadnt known how long shed layed at the bottom of the ocean.

If beings could so easily overturn the balance of power, then so could she. Pity it couldn't be against her susesser loaw perna/nona, as a follower of hers deathbringer alterious so over eagerly pointed out. Shed just have to settle with the extinction of her other leaders, their nest ruler korin, and a certain someone perseverin hadnt glimpsed in that nightmare battle. A certain make, quiet, subversive, attracting little attention wherever he went, a certain black and yellow mottled dragon whod been the downfall of loaw okar kahuakhaun. "oh where are you, my evasive slippery quarry? Where are you, my sweet sweet loaw persevek? Where is that one to hide smung my followers a year bacl to take from me those two flesh and bloods that i planned to extract info from? Where are you... **abydos?** " the words wer spat out like rotten eels venomous as the sub leader could make it roll off her tongue. "you think i care that you stalk about in the dark? You think i care that i cannot find you yet? I shall find you. I shall sweetly as ever, savor the demise of your rotten traitorous fealty to the hod protector, and for thoughtlessly wiping clean thew slate of loaw okar, our first reviered leader! Oh, im going to tear my claws straight into that beating noble black scaled heart."

Truthfully kahuakhaun was the only leading dragon make, save for his patriotic little son, that perseverin cared for. Showed real promise for making the land correct. Paving the way for the moons design. Loaw nezeres sickening fawning dedication over his inner lust of versel was anyones guess. Why was **she** the best in the lanf? Loaw perna shouldn'tve even let the thought of nightflight cross his mind, let alone seduce her. Loaw dagny as a follower back then, had bore whitnes to the entire escapade. Se would not have made those choices loaw okar did. each day the dragoness grew older, wiser, more knowledgeable to anyone. Time to take a swim. She took a deep breath, tucked her wings and dove into the inky depths. Ugh unpleasant. Out of her element here. Uncomfortable. But not cowardly. The water was surprisingly weighty on her albino body. Took effort. Not unlike tearing her talons into monstrous nightmares, but less pleasing by far. She hoped this didnt take to long to locate the quarry she saught in mind. Need for air drove her to the surface. Bagh! why couldn't that bigger night fury would-be follower loaw nezere do this? He was big. He could be the bait. She supposed if he got eaten by whatever perseverins after, oh well for that versel-obsessed brute.

She gagged like an undignified fish out of water, or in this came a night fury _in_ water, scowling moodily. Why was that ignoramus so dedicated to nightflight? There wasnt anything good about her. Especially when (another story rest for the wicked: silverwing) she was publicly disgraced both by a gladly dead brown dragoness loaw dagny new not and by her then-leader kahuakhauns silence. A plan to set alterious and nightflight- oh happy day nightflihght- after nona. Not only did versel practically betray her leader, she was lost tio the crafty methods if nona. Loaw dagny was surprised that it wasnt that hard to picture nona becoming third leader on perseverins poersenl revenge battle over thus same sea. Witch brought back the sub leader to the ask at claw. She dived again, and again after surfacing for air. This task was daunting, but loaw dagny was a hardened ine,m refusing to be deterred at something as _water._ She quite clearly recalled what looked like tat eve she sent skrillix lothal out to test its powers for use in her army, a mass of night furys formerly belonging to loaw okar. The eightieth such dive she hopefully came up upon a shape in the murky depths that obscured the lighter waters around it. Could this be the sub leaders prize?

* * *

Supreme leader of the god protectors followers loaw veen ontonycterys sat with her back to the cave entrance leisurely, stroking the object on her paws. Expression deep in thought. The two new followers of night fury origin standing observantly outside upon polite request, could handle anything that interrupted the leaders musings. Now the battle was over. The cleanupd begun. Now wasn't the time for battle and ending the life of the enemy. Now was the time to think. "phase one of my plan is complete" said loaw veen up to the empty cave. "it is time to take our plans to the next step. with followers now under my talon, we must gather up the rest pf the l0st souls. A fraction of lost souls recovered with this." She held up the object kept meticulously close, for 'reasons' as of late, up to her eyes. Taking it in. Marveling at its creation, set to work wonders for her masters design.

"aranidae almost took you away from my embrace. How ungracious of him. Well just have to make him pay. your usefulness refraction my masters light to make wiling children see. Well have to keep you safe from now on wont we? No more stashing will we?" she lost herself in the dark mirrors warped features, like a black sea iced over freezing this formation in rock. When in fact unimaginable fires within the the land created it. She sighed contentedly, remembering her betraying deathbringer alterious in order to obtain it, feeling her back spines flatten in relaxation. "everything is going as planned." An ear frill attuned itself to the goings on of her bodyguards. "we do not mean to disturb your activities great leader, but four others do. Do we allow them top pass?" four ontonycterysd summoned on purpose that didnt include the preying eyes haides loaw annwn. His overgeneralize tended you be more a hindrance then a help on this mission. He got the honor of sending the nest ruler a rather telling message telling the coming of loaw veen, that was enough.

"they are expected, my child. Let them pass." The three she had called for plus one extra as a test of sorts to prove her place, so split was she to remember. "you asked for us oh wise one?" came the voice of one follower the sounds of wings closing audible. ontonycterys didn't turn studying absently the dark mirror, though her eyes flicked sideways at the cave wall at her periphery, as if she could see them. "yes i have. All of you were asked by me to be here, but before i venture any further, i am caring enough to ask you something." A silence. That was expected: upon the moons correcting their forgetting ailments, instantly replacing who they were, all that was before rushed back to replace. Last they served the god protector, their figurehead was in the form of loaw azeros. The balance of powerd changed since then, siene the followers rosed again. Didn't matter to ontonycterys if that tallied soly fifty or so, while the majority back half fled with copperwingthefury. More would follow her, soon.

"how does this sudden knowledge make you feel? This mission i ask in discretion, i can only have smart adaptable minded furys committed to the job. It demands much of you. Leave my sight before i ask it." "well i feel fine now, thanks for asking leader. It feels good to be back. What is this job?" one of the four asked. Loaw veen picked up the slight undertone of insecurity, hesitation. Not used to his new forms and abilities just yet. she tucked the dark mirror under a wing, folding them carefully to secure it, aranidaed taught her one valuable lesson. There they were, lined up in a row in the caves illumination: cordon, aviis korgan and ne other ontonycterys asked for. "i am your leader, yes." She scanned the assembled with a critical eye, learning them, just as she had the enemy. "i and the mighty one to share generously with you its empowering energy. among you, do you remember the leaders before me? Two of them have been resurrected by me, hoping theyd further understand the significance of the big picture by expanding unbelievers see our way and repent. Dragons like you four i might not otherwise reach. They both had potential."

cordon and aviis met her eye squarely unflinching. cordon averted his eye: source being of slight loyalty to another past ;leader hr respected more then anything else, a facrt loaw annwnd try annoyingly pointing out, a fact loaw veen could decipher without that followers help. She didn't blame the follower, each leader had ther unique ways, hearts won over by different dragons under them. "do you remember them?" "i do my leader. I recall fighting alongside loaw okar in the sea of battle. Helping him pacify didnt furys like us. I was there to swear fealty when loaw dagny perseverin rose to power. Though i resented her wrath on dragons loyal to her, i respected her ruthless methods in picking up the pieces where kahuakhaun left off. I was glad someone had at least a shred of dedication to his legacy. I lived to carry out the will of our longtime white nemacys free white night fury to betray her with the moons blessing." said cordon steely. "ive never liked loaw perna. aranidae was better, softer on his approaches." Muttered korgan, indicating where his loyalties lay. "snodussen almost got rid of that defiant nest ruler. A pain in all our sides had not a human stepped in and took her away from leading us. Not long ago i was led by loaw azeros, a wretched thing i terribly despise" ontonycterys smiled on the inside as cordon ploughed on.

"he did nothing but pit followers against eatchother and sacrificed these the moon made leader for his own amusements. his own mind games. Made nadders followers? Not us? He should should've come back for us, cared for us, not leave us abandoned and alone in the depths of forgetfulness. So he could slip away conveniently when things got too rough for him. Yet still i was loyal to that dragon. I did it because it was the right thing to do." Loaw veen couldnt help her grin now. She stood up flicking a paw at korgan. "your dismissed. you cannot help me here. Continue fortifying my nest from attack." she turned to the three left. "yes that one does like to play those doesnt he? Thats what im here to put fourth to you all. The dragons i rose to experience what youre now, but with honor and recognition. However they have repaid that second chance at redemption by causing trouble. aranidae in particular has made a bold attempt taking the one tool to make more of you see away. The dark mirror stolen from me. Trancing my dragons with his personal powers by the wrong morals. Perseverin has gotten it in her mind to not listen to what i say, is at the sea even now seeking some giant undersea dweller after the rest of your unseeing brethren. And with things going so well now, the nightmares gone, rebellious dragons out and away, that is just something that will _not_ do."

Aviis scratched at an irritating patch of scales. "so...what are we supposed to do?" "right from the moment i gave them back their bloodlust and purpose, i knew theyd be trouble. I thought they'd accept their place with me as leader. Since they insist on doing things according to their own design, rather then focus on the grand plan the master desires, i have to go out of my way to remedy their actions. I have pushed the moons plans forward as they should be. I have made some misjudgments. "she let her icy side slip for seconds "what i do _not_ do is make _mistakes!_ I want two of you, one dragon each, to find and track down my subordinates. your former leaders. I want my eyes and ear frills on them at all times. I couldve guessed it but now is a surety: i cannot trust them. Their minds are too ingrained, hardened. Too set on their ways to listen to the grander scale of things. Their bogged down with their petty schemes and revenges. So i ask two of you three whose hearts are entirely loyal to me to follow loaw dagny perseverin and loaw azeros aranidae. Periodically report back to me through the moons mind link. I will teach you how. If they become too much a threat to me..."loaw veen trailed off suggestively.

"you want us to remove them from office. For good" added cordon a little too eagerly. "i can do that. Send me after my former leader, mighty one. I can do this quickly and-" "dont get to far ahead my child. Good things come to those who choose their battles. Watch and wait. They are a nuciuence, particularly aranidae, but not a threat. Not yet. They might come to see my way of things in the future, or they may not. Its all up to them to let the master guide them. It made us. We must respect its words of wisdom. Do not kill them. Only if their actions cross the point of no return. Only then. for aranidae, sadly, that end to his leadership term might come sooner rather then later. Can it be done?"

cordon let out a loyal growl and aviis nodded. The third follower furthest from the leader said nothing. "all right meet me later in the nest. Dont go after them until i say so. you are not yet prepared what youre about to face. They arnt just dragons of words. If even for a moment see youre affiliated with me, they will terminate your lives instead, regardless if you see truth or not. I will teach you of what i know of them personally, how they think, how they react, their attack methods. Ill teach you how to fight. Fight and **win** , better then they could hope to dream. Your job wont be easy. Dont be rash. Listen to me" She kept her voice dip cooing almost motherly "im just trying to _protect you,_ my children." She watched them go, calling out "wait my child! Stay! i have something i have need of you...someone else in store for you..." straight and tall, bowing respectfully, not knowing she never should've listened to loaw veens poisonous tongue before the moon obtained her mind, was loaw zara. Or the night fury that had been...torrid.

* * *

Copperwingthefury felt so exhausted he felt like dropping into the sea. Bad idea of course but who could blame him? Thrown through it felt like a dragons lifetime of heartache, loneliness, fatherly abuse, betrayal in many forms, shocking twists and the most recent: thrown through a monstrous nightmare attack so relentless hed had to abandon the nest to save the lives of his nest furys remaining. Now this sudden cry from the back, it seemed, not of alarm but of cautious joy. "oh dragonsake **now** what?" "their stopping! their looking confused nest ruler! can we stop flying so fast now?" the individual voices cane. could he just drop into the ocean and drown in exhaustion thought korin. beyond the thwacking mostly black dragons there was an even greater blotch of red thousands of times bigger then his colony. the whole nightmare species was here. the sun was normal and descending the last bit towards the ocean to their right. behind them was land. korins home. right now nearly collapsing himself copperwing lacked the brainpower to worry about any of the god protectors leaders right now; what they might be running around doing.

main prerogative was getting his nest furys somewhere safe and the nightmare horde off their tails. what great luck of that so far. the nearest nightmares shot over and past the furthest furys, aimed straight for korin. "why me? forgettable and forgotten back then: the target of everyone now?" the nest ruler grumbled. tensions felt high ebnough. they didnt need another battle out here. hed quickly figured out the nightmares burned within with a violent anger. far obvious that just because the sun was no longer red or up impacted the attacking horde null. he pivoted instructing the nearest nest furys to stay put And pass on the word. the largest director saw him, altered her couse accordingly. "wjat do you want? stop! im begging you! we are all tired and weary and battered and bruised! we just want **peace!** we are flying as fast as stamina wil allow us to get aay from **you!** we dont want to flee our home! dont make us ever come back! we wont fight your flock anymore! if its the nest you want,m tke ot! if oits our lives you want, sorry but you cant have those!"

he shouted drawing near, hovering a ways out smartly, letting thre nightmares come to him. hed be ready, clawed up by nightmares, gouged into multiple places and still smarting from the injurious followerd given him by the name pf hides loaw annwn. korin started showing the signs of adulthood: the maiming and marring of dragon talons n fireballs from battles long past. being with is colony and leading itd changed him. coupled with abydos and denix replay were off chasing the moons influential leaders, obuekohvs fate unknown and he really missed torrids advice. her protection. he felt...irritated with her around- _that_ most certainly came true with her over-protectiveness wanting to be 2 intehes near his tail-but...drawn to her. something about her was familiar. what? she offered her protection: in sutch a diure situation nmw with all turned agsinst hos nest, he realized her use, hed allot to apologize for. ad that hed not gotten the chance, what with keeping an eye on perseverins alliance seeking he counterpart aranidae out, then finding his nest besieged by monsters nightmares.

for the furst time, he knew what the weight and futy of a dragon in charge was, the full responsibilities resting squarely ion his soldiers, the choices a ruler has to make. it was up to him. he was all alone. he wasn't a dragnet anymore. he was like that tan wizened ruler, bearing the decisions of thousands of lives, her existence like a distant memory. one sadly extinguished by the overbearing obsession of hos father silverwingthefury-turned-evil. wings and scales and a noble beating heart korin revered meant nothing to him. just the position she bore. so great hed killed her for that ruling title. killed two nest rulers for. not enough, was never enough to satisfy him. copperwing could do this. he could _do_ this! "we dont intend to fig-" "do znot zay your sorry, dragonet. do not." interrupted the young female director. "zwe are not herez to harm. zwe zwere going to burn,. but zat waz not uz. za zun became red, zmade uz want to feel active to cover za land in flames. burn it all to the groundz. everything. but az i flew to meet your group i zuddenly felt...calm. za sun waznt read anymore. zit was zat top make us unreazonable."

taken aback it was the nearest pregnant nest fury tyo answer for korin. "that excuses nothing. you killed our dragons. we did nothing to you. you made us leave. i just wish to go home and nurse my dragnet. but there is no home to go back to. i cant even remember myself as i am and that makes it even worse. so dont you dare feel sorry for us." If shjer clulve shrugged her wings in apology sje we wouldve. zi am sorry." Another director: "she iz. Zwer all are. Zwer wish there zwas something zwe could dio to exores our zorrow for the danagez cauzed. Just tell l uz and zwe would do it. Zwe are all zorry. Zwer really are." "zwe didnt know zwhat zwe were doing" finished the yong director female. The return looks the nearest furus gasve backl were far friom accepting their apolofy. Gazes hard, accusing. Theyd every right to be., she spread hger talons. "zer doint want but to prove wez mean no harm to you or yourz now." Where would this end? In love or in war? Forgiveness nor hate? Korin looked at the horde, looked hard. And nodded.

"i look at you, and i see a great deal many of you. I look at you, and i see honesty. youve presented an offer to me and my colony, riht after all thise acts committed. Some might find that unforgivable. Especially if it was a mate seeing their other half go down. Yourve made your choise, and ive made mine. Yuove asked for forgiveness..." the nest hekd iys breath, afain, the choices a ruler has to make growing up, all those lives looking up to him for direction. Peace. Love. War. Hate/ what was ghos choice? What would his father choose? His friends? Thew tan nest ruler? The three leaders? His eyes rested on his colony, all his niht furys "...and that yuo shall recieve. Bith from mysekf and those of my brothers who wish to do the same. I wll not hold a grudge., i am not the type of dragon silverwing wanted to sghoe existence. Ever, i wil always do whats right." He flapped around to fully meet the snouts of the last of his kind.

"but il not force you to decide anything my brothers! weve been through so much! forces trying to tear us apart! If the dragons of the monstrous nightmare want t! redeem, i say yes! we shouldn't answer bloofshead with more bloodshead! That just brings more suffering to all involved! I say of we can find it in our hearts to forgive our ebemy, we are one pawsteop ahead of corruption of those who seek to turn us! Can any of you find the liht behind the act?" before anyone did mutch of anything several othes looked down at suddenly not still waters beneath them. Korins insides tightened at the sudden distinct outline of an ebnourmus creature larger then anby creatuyred nest ryukered set eues on before. He could hear the cries of the nightmare horde as the understandable cries of his furys in dragonic flooded the air. The ocean seethed then, as two gigantic horns pieced the air, accompanied truly, by the most gigantic head korind seen.

The nest furys lost it entirely scattering in all directions. "by dragonkind what is that thing?" yelled a nest fury by coopperwins eart frills shooting past. The full back of the creature lervelled off, asnd korin wasnt mistaken, iyt looked like a giant flattened lobster backed thoing with now obserwvabke tenendfoubs wingspan. That want what glued hois gaze to the gigantic golden back however. Its rthwe white thing ckinging inbetween the overlapping crustations =, alot more frippy, sopping. Disgruntled and gaspomg for air then usual that did ther trick. "leave them1 i want them goner abd the little one: tyaeget him first! The net ruker that drives me mad! The rat! Him first! _him!_ " copperwing lacked the time to figure out jusy **how** sub leader loaw dagny perseverind held her breath underwater that long before instant tols him to plunge, fast,. A suert of airy pull tugged hijm tiward he fifutee the crearue was befire a high pitched whistle sounded blasted in his audio receptors. Then the world exploded.

* * *

Vikig bkuefkame was dining with "the smiths": again. Why he had no idea. He knrw they were a kind family true,. Nitpicked by many orther vikings foir not keeping thieier exaes sharp, tip toply so in case a battle was required of thier settlkement. Theyd reply with a joivial smile that sience bluefme nafe piece with dragons way baxck whgen there was dragons to harm them, why bother? Better as doorjambs to the ceaky wooden door or as a prop to the stool leg, the one discreetly kicked under the tabke out of sight becase they hadnt figued how toi chop the axe head off yet. Sometingd mustve shown beneath the curly crop of hsir , as she took the plate, mrs smirth gave him a warm smile. 'aw, hon are we thinking about your wife again? Im sorry. I know she was dear to you.""yep. the one whose nwe deaduer then a de nadd" said mr smith, hiornedf biking helmet on te aerm of hios chair taking another portation of his chicken tigh.

Sge took blueflames plate to the next room. "watch your manners magnus. Thst topics sensitive to him. Isnt that right john?" he nodded glumly. Yah he supposed so. Being made fun of at one more ting wasn't unmanageable. Vikings natyrakky wenr that giod at ' peoples feelings' department yet. The only one who was adept was viking in turn symrea earthsiong, once you got her to start toutcy feelings there wsnt an off byutton on her anywgere." Sprry heldegard. I forgoit meself." He beltche in typical vukig fastion patting his pot belly contntedly. "you know, chgapo if i were yuo id take my mind off 'a sad thioughts n' make mesekf buysy. Whgen heddegard scolds me too often oi retreat to the woodshead anbd schup some woodf in the lean to. Reminds me of olden times when i could see yir great wide ixira jackson swinging away in teaining class. Uh, pity shes dead though." An indignant reprive from the next room: " **magnus."** Mrs smith stoof up faster then exoected for as man of hos weioght (then again ge was a voking,vikinhgs wer ready fir anything)/

"righty-ho. Come blue. I hasve just the thing for ya." Dinning his hemle, looking diwn at john asd of exoecting a helmet fir him to be readily within grabbing distance and finding he teen cwrried bnine, he sjrugged heading fir the door. "that one may be seperated frpm me bty a few good hrearty inches of wood paneling but that ones gotr ears like am eagle. Sje never misses a word" xchicjkkled mr smith patting blueflasme good naturadly on the back so roughly he stumbled, he trundled after bringing skighty at the leaky pipes ker plopping piddles. The jight was cool and calm. With an edgwe ofg bite sugesting einter was coming. A fact mr smith pointed out. "you know sir yhese pipes ate needing a good fixup. Thuer in bad shapoe. Im hasndy with creartive means around hwere. Yo nee a few good slabs of rock of the three quarts magnesium, four parts limestone, and ione part ion ore. Someone can start up thge fires at the blacksmitrh stall i can get to work on these right waway. Im good at all that stuff,. I van even utilize some of thisd woos lkying about to jumpstrart the firge." Mr smith smiled at the teens ingenuity. "heh good lad. I havent a clue what that means but it sounds like you got it all in good order. Ill leave you to it. Yuor dead wife would be so proud of you." Blueflame threw the villagers departing back a rueful glance. Then shrugged starting foir the diced wood in the woodshead.

...

Hours later a sweaty blueflasmed hammered his last slab of rock and done all the things necessary for making metal pipes he cleaned up the blacksmith stall, gathering his fonsjed products to make the trek back to "the smiths" . It was suffocating in the stall but refreshing outside it. "mr smith was right. I do feel netter. Ixxys passing hit me ghaqrd but i know sometime soon i can recover from that. things are looking up." **Were.** He stopped as he picked up sounds of what eerily sounded like clanking chains and the groan of wooden wheels. Chains not in the stal with him. Outside, out there. Beyond the circle of firelight. "hello? It it you bork? Mr smith? Someone?" a cackle ofg many mwen sounded. Not good nature sounding laughter either. Malicious laughter, riht before a viking pilfered al you foodstockls or lit your enemies chieftain of fire. A rwig snapped behind hom. "hello?" he wirled around just as shapes obscured the forge fire, a cloth sack shoved over his head. "hello there little boy. Pleased to capture yuo in once piece. The chiefs want a word from ya." Wha-? His last thought was just as an unseen ock hard fit smashed into the backj of his head through the cloth knocking him oblivious to anything else.

* * *

coppwerwingthefury found himself coming to with something hard under his back feet and something wrapped around his wiry throat. Probably why he felt so groggy. The something clogging his need for airway shook him, then that something tossed him tossed him to the hard surface entirely. His half extended teeth jarred against the roof of his jaws. He tasted something metallic. Was he on land? Was this just some dream? He never took his nest across the sea? were the nightmares all of it a dream? Was he safely back inghos cave under the protection of hos father? His annoying at times but fiercely protective father? Before he git it into his head to hasve the tan leaders position? "are you ready to die rat? Ready to face he feeling of my talons slash out your eyeballs? Deform and horribly disfigure the only son of the great loaw okar? In his last moments realizing what hed attempted to undo of his fathers making was a great waste of his time?" silverwing was speaking. His father? The voice sounded female. And nasally. Something swiped at his side, tumbling him end over end on the hard surface, felt a soft but firm something dig into his undertummy. "die rat: die and know humility."

He came to groggily to see a wickly gleeful leader perseverins frontal sheathed paws digbbing into his blue striped underside while her jaws unhinged wide open hardolding a fireball. He wouldnt recover in time. "brothers and sisters of my colony and my friends...i hope yuoll understand." As he prepared for his end a black blur smacked into perseverin from above and the side just as she fired, the firce if his blw sending loaw dagny spawling. She lepot to her black striped paws immediately wiobdering who dared attack her, taking a few steps back in helpless syprise at the same time korins eyes focused good enough to get a good look at his savior. "abydos!" the syllabke came out both dragons jaws in unison. "abydos brother yiure alive." alive and well and thank dragonkind he was in once piece. Sides heaving in and out from flapping all this way. Though not half as bad as the nest furys or its ruler. How many times had hge tangled with the deranged dragoness so far? Perseverin was on the new arrivakl immediately. If you observed closely you could see in her eyes her heart was black with hatred for abydos.

Korin couldnt begin to guess all the inns and outs of their past but he could start guessing now. " _you!_ I wondered where your yellow striped sorry carcass went. While we fought endless numbers of brainless monstrous nightmares, i caught no sigh of your heroic self radiating that doomed do gooder stentch. Oh where oh where could my dear old enemy loaw persvek be?" "you wont get far in your grand killing spree valdis" lifting off with flkaosd of his ebon wings abydis shiot korin a look of disbelieving horror. Same look mirrored on orons snout thge first time he beheld the nightmares at his nest. Arriving too late acceiot to poiack a target and scuffle. "what?" she sneered. "your notoriety for winging in with the rest of your rebel band is known. When i failed to see thast happening i grew suspicious. It was obviously too good to hope something lesser then i had gotten rid of you. Oh didnt you hear? Thus rats rocky haven fir the followers ggoing to be under my control was invaded. I may not know the complex plans of my partners but i do know how to wadge killing executions. Excellence! Target the aimless red beasts! Drop them from the sky!"

the swold somnetintg explaied itself to copperwings questioning nature. They wer on the sea. or just level with it. But it wasn't an island in the smack dab of the biggest laje ever. No! Little cvopperwing ws on the back of the gigsntic undersea dweller. Who was excellence? He then threw himself airborne still groggy as his makedhoft "island" rpose slightly its upopoer half from the sea, twin horns slicing the air, to emit that same high pitched noice. "no!" screeched the dragonet heplessly aining to lend anydos help. Loaw daby. Out here. While his disintegrating colony both literally and physically dissolved. The scene was already in full swing with perseverin and abysdis locked in combat slashing and blowing alkaline fireballs at eatrchoither. "for the sake of dragons, why now? Yore imsatiabke." He cried grabbing ahod of the sub leafers powerful tail and hgevig bsck to distract her. Abydos slipped in with two solid blows to her chest befie she could harm copperwing. "no koron stay back. The dragons without durectuon need direction. Thier going tio get themselves killed by whatevers in league with valdis."

She barell rolled off to the side lazily vermilion leetchong from the holes on her chest. "oh yo mean exxcellence here? The great unknown from the deep? Meet the end oif resstance as yuove come toi comfortably grow accustomed to. The victirys n your side will shoft to mine with exxcellence here obeying me. Youre just in time to watch my pet wipe out the unpure nightmares. Veen duidnt think them worthy of becoming believers and i have tio agree. Thier so much more useful as a raon of red scales. Itll be so mutch fun to watch. Just as muhch enjoyment battling my favorite enemy." anydos clenched his jaw partial attention on korin. "its all about taking life for you. Try giving some back. See reason." "or i could take one more." She said flying in close to slash and stab with greedy talons. he was relieved wgen the y9ng agile but imprepared little night fury went the other way. not gone unnoticed by the sub leader. "leaving you all lonesomely to face me. the master of the question ia did he do it out of gratitude to your impending demise, not wanting to be there when it happoened? or did he just not care to stick around? his heart already forgotten your mangled form at my paws? or was it pity your little scrap of scales felt for you? knowing you cannot keep this up?"

"yuore one to toss insults valdis. your reign could be compared to the rising and setting of the sun. you already fester wounds long past. but you refuse to bury the anger and find solace. when the god protector had no further use for you it tossed you aside" retired abydos looking for weaknesses. she looked up to where a thunderous boom, the4 cause being exxellenxes metallic dudty blue balls of gas impacting the diosoersing nightmare horde. "maybe,. but must as it oains me to admit replacement, i had the satisfaction at one of you becoming one of us. the terror thaty caused yoy. yuo servied all that and still you refuse to let yourself be enlightened. whats it going tyo take to make dragons see? or how many lives we take to get there? and where were you, if not at that battle?" tracking her. the answer in his face told her. not surorisinhg. the blond wer too frightened to not know what the niht sdkys breeders of darkness were doing, placing a knowledgeable dragon to keep tabs made sense. "if youre expecting me to lose myself to anger the last time i nearly kiled you, yuoe sadly mistaken. im wiser then that now. were are all rash in our younger years."

seeing her swipes being blocked by abydos paws she flapped her wuings wide prepareing to dive. a mistake: abydos jaws popped open fovusing in on the two expanse of white membranes. abysis misjudged his aim and the whole attack altogether. by the time he realized his quarry was no longer there, in fact, loaw dagnys talons now suddenly driving her blows home, tearing at his throat victoriously it was too late. a slashing here and a gashing there and it was over. he pitched from the sky, plunging towatd the cean. "oh loaw persevek, hon did yuor guard slip?" he heard her say. he was to busy taking great gasps of air. everything hurt. loaw dagny perseverin: the name brought a host of bad vibes to the dragon average sized ebony poelted night fury currently struggling to hold onto life. He couldn't feel himself tumbling. then hos downward pull stopped as what he surmised were perseverins paws clutched at hos paw. as he knew he was defenseless. a drooping black fish out of water. floundering in its last true moments. it wasjt a joke this time. "no, the sea wonrt claim yuo that easily yet. you stll have years worth of humiliation and torture to endure. you stil owe me pain."

he couldn't see it fighting the agony, but perseverins wings flapped vigorously holding abyds by the paw over the sea, abydos near limp. her breath cooed in a hiss for him to hear, drowned out by disorganized monstrous nightmares being fued upon and screaming nest furus getting fir away from exxcellence as they could. "look at all your dragons fleeing like untrained dragnets, knowing little accept survival. look at what your kindve reduced them too. me made them strong, dragon. yuo went behind our tails anyway to break them from the master. it doesnt like that. i dont like it. and lok at you. all those little times you gotit away from my jutified wrath, or t the lies you tolds me that youd guard these humans for me. or hode ot in my followers since loaw okars fall so i wouldn't notice. abd simoy for the fact you refuse to bow down to me and the master and accept fate. you owe me a lifetime of pain, loaw persevek. pain and so much _more."_ spitefully she worked a free back muscly talon into his abdomen as hard as she could. he cried out shrilly in pain. "lets gather an audience for a last stand shall we? we wouldn't want them to miss the final execution."

she dug harder. his sounds rebounded across the field to korins ear frills at about the same time the beast dweller reared up to deliver another volly directly at flustered but unwilling to fight back nightmare dragons. "get your dragons to safety. do you know of the one who chased me is alive? i wanted to talk to her. a director looked up happening to be flying alongside. "no zwe dont know what zappened to her: you zmean sleuthor. one who we obey more them myzeof or otherz. she waznt with us when zwe came here. zwe would've noticed. by za way, why are you dragonz in league with that behemoth from the waterz? we offered zyou peaze and yuo replay uz zwith death? why?" order and orce were out the window. he couldn't answer. abydos sounds turned him then. rather forced his gaze up to the sky. raind begun to fall. just t8i droplets from an oppressive sky. ther was loaw dagny, struggling to stay aloft in the air. for there grasped in her frontal paws was the limp black flopy form off a drooping sad pathetic form coppwerwing never ever hoped to see impaled on the talons of the enemy.

and never by the deranged perseverin. a dragoness back then hed destructed, unsure of her loyalties; after all they wer all pawns of silverwing/kahuakhauns gransd plams to find him. here she was, holding abydos. not him. hi heart froze. no! no no no. not abydos. not him. "dragons!" her call came a regally loud as she coukd manage "today out of nowhere one of your friends long met hois match. any last words?" her **justice** at last **so sweetly spilt**. "my friend im sorry" croaked abydos. the nest ruler flew at loaw dagny then. filed with the urge to tear every scale off her body. feeling a feeling of not wanting it to stop. so this os what his father felt like all the time. just tetining on the edge of converting or killing all who would not succumb. this must be that feeling. it empowered the dragnet. it feklt...good. "driop him valdis. drop him right now." he didn't exactly mean to, but they came out deep and gruttel. vruel. murderous. the dragonesses eyes found his. with a final twist of her tendons sending commands from her tainted brain, gave a last davage twist, snapping abydos neck. "let go? sure thing" she purred swollen with pride, opening her paws, adding a spiteful last bloody talonswipe to the plummeting furys eyes, a handful of ebon scales coming off in her paw.

she smiled the most hideout smile korind seen on her, as horrific as skitiivas long ago, and dusted her paws off. she sad nothing knowing the dragonetdf go after abydos lifeless form in some pstheti attempt to bring him alive. no one could do that. he diced into the unforgiving waters all his mind collapsing to te fate of his dear friend. no! abydos couldn't just be gone like that. could not! **would** not! not allowed to occur. if not had someone up there would pay. pay and pay and pay. for perseverin it was a killers dream, an imghe of heaven. for korin his ache was like n open wound in his heart driving hatred deep.

* * *

in the nest loaw been stopped what sje was doing abruptly feeling a very overwhelming sweet victorious lust screaming " _i did it! i did it! haha these frail blind idiots! i did it! hes dead dead deeeeeaddddd!"_ from her subordinate loaw dagny mind. ontonycterys kept her mind open through the link to the stars to learn the identity of her foe. " _haah abydos is dead dead deead! oh yess! now three quarters of my quarry are fully out of my sight. next ill get rid of that rat copperwing. so minuscule like he shiuildve been dead long ago by that follower snodussens. shouldbe stood by and ket it clean up the mess. them deathbringer alterious. how dare he work for the blind now. what has he ever done for them? accept hate them? and perhaps azeros and ontonycterys for the finishing toutches. cant wait to surprise them with the new follower i have in store foir that one. my killing list is growing. haaha!"_ she worked her jaw mildly seething. hmmmmm.

well. she flew to the lip of the nest gazing out on the creation, her small network of followers, hefting the dark mirror in her back talons. she took them in setting about thier tasks content to her exposing them to truth, opening her mind link to loaw azeros...and ran her feelings against a solid void. perplexed, intrigued with not being able to connect she probed her link labyrinthine deeper. trying to penetrate. meeting a solid but empty wall. with every passing probing her interest spiked. " _aranidae what are you up to you snake? plotter of plotters?"_ she thought spoke. had he...somehow developed abilities to block her? or was this the god protectors intervention? loaw veen found thyat prospect a bit off putting as she deserved all the rights and respect as the moons chosen one entitled. from loaw dagnys unguarded distracted mind her night was alive with the sounds of death. from loaw azeros, why, its like hed become one with darkness. ontonycterys was satisfied shed sent two dragons after them to keep in check, face them if necessary.

loaw veen was hopeful it didn't have to come to that just yet. not if her subordinates shed after all returned their powers and purposes to behave. aranidae was pushing his luck, if hed found out how to deny ontonycterys access to his whereabouts and telepathy. perseverins apparent butchering was both a curse and a blessing of loaw persevek wer whedab (abydos) to the leader: but what was aranidaes? what was he hiding from her he wished to keep secret? and moreover **where** was the sub leader? oyher then the botched plan stealing the dark mirror now on loaw veens being at al times? well her willd erpde that mysterious loaw azeros wished to conceal. no secrer or emotion was safe from her. the arrival of the nightmare horde complicated matters. not destroy it. she dud know his one dangerous ability against her if it canerr to that, he spoke what he wanted, and his power was his words. she focused.

" _cordon can you hear me? its me. i have a warning. do not underestimate my resurrected chid of the night aranidae. he has grown very adaptable. more then i realized. he may be wizened to my plans. he will know since i now retain the object of your return to us, he will be hatching plans. keep an eye on him. reign in your impatience to take action against him just yet. beware: i believe hes found the ability to block my mind. i dont know where is is in the land so yuoll have to find him yourself. be cautious my child...accidents can be avoided if you watch yourself."_ she got the feeling her follower understood. she repeated the dame warning to aviis, tracking loaw dagnys trajectory. that was easier. but the breeder darkness was up against a leader in her time as the moons chosen one whis perfected the art of killing. _"you have my promise i wil watch her. a beast that big could aid us in skirmishes oceanbound. the unbelievers will have to see like we do or face that thing."_ offered aviis. that gave ontonycterys an idea. an _ocean_ of an idea. could she perhaps communicate with exxcellence, the dragon dweller of the deep, bonded to the moon? turn it againt perseverin? make known whi ie true leader was? certainly not that white excuse. the only rationality she had was dealing death to foes she disliked.

she called upon the moons mind link to that creatures mind the master hekd in thrall, a tact only clear minded followers could do. was it as complexively intelligent as night furys? " _my brother, my partner to the belief we share. are you hearing this? inside you? like you think-" "I AM EXXELLENCE! THE ENEMY WILL PERISH TO THE WHITE ANGELS COMMAND ALL WHO WILL NOT SERVE, SUFFER TO THE ALMIGHTY GOD PROTECTOR! BRING THE FLYING FLEAS CRASHING DOWN TO MY REALM! THE SEA!"_ slammed the return words into ontonycterys. she recoiled noticeably almost losing her grasp on the darlk mirror. so much for investigating reasonably. the leaderd what she already needed to commit to memory. it was a simpleminded though believing dragon to the cause focusing simply on obeying loaw dagny. perseverind gotten to make ot believe in teh master first. loaw veen second. its the sub leader exxellehced obey totally. a fact ontonycterys inform aviis soon. if her subordinate was out of the way...once again the leader changed plans. being supreme figurehead demanded such. "lets test your metal, my deranged child, lets test your metal." she never saw the set of eyes resting on the dark mirror clasped protectively in a back claw from a nearby cave...

* * *

Copperwingthefury felt the weight of the water pressing down. Deeper he swam more it increased. Up in the air he faced none of these troubles. But perhaps it came better this way. He deserved the rebuke. He deserved watching all tat hed placed effort in, souls hed tried saving from doom, torn apart. that be greedy faced dragonesses like loaw dagny up there gloarig arrogantly at her victory, unforeseen circumstances or nature getting in the way. Comfortable life as korin knew ot wa long jumbled together. Abydos...gone! another mental scar to add to his collection. "you know sin, there os a saying not ignorant dragons should know" floated his fathers gruff stern vouce in his mind, before his ego and his pride became unbearable, before the thought of wiping his paws with the tan nest rulers vermilion crossed his mind. "whats THAT daddy? I thought i already was smart. See im smart." Korins vastly innocent self asked sitting n his haunches taking in silverwings proud form. Who could harm that figure? That mighty powrhouse?

"you are my son. Its all these others that are...not. the saying is something like this: when one first awakens his orbs to the land hes thrust unto, he knows not of life but oneself. Life os happy and carefree. As one maturs he finds life not what he expected. death is a vengeful thing. It consumes life. Reaps what we sow. The only thing the wise know; violence. when we reach a certain age we all whitnesss what we discover we hurt inwardly at: the loss of life death snatches up in vicious talons. We dont even get to say farewell. It strikes and is gone: leaving a hollow feeling within us, son. We are faced with a choise: do we accept it and move on or do we embitter ourselves to that pain? Fester? Those are the things we must deal with when the land is not what it seems, son. Only those who feel the pain but push on strongly anyway are the survivors. Life weeds out in its own way the weak willed. Remember." Little korind known his fatherd committed hos choice, about the time skitiivas insults came intoo his life.

he glanced wide eyed nuvously holding his black and gray banded wings clasped to his sides. A moment of silence in te ave, then "is that what happened to mother? Daddy id it? Did that deathy thingie scoop up mommy away gone? I haven't seen her since i was very little in a long time." As usual silverwing turned his snout away leaving copperwing looking imploringly ty the back of it. "do noty concern yursekf with mommy. Mommy is not here anymore. But no. Bot in the manner suggest, she is someplace happier." Right now that advie felt pretty clear in him. And he fekt like trhe secind option. Dwelling on the pait felt liker a mercy. Or a third option his fatherd not seemed to mention. shut out all feelings entirely. Become emotionless. Justy exist as scale and bone. Being heavier the black form plunged ever deeper until copperwing couldn't follow. He couldn't do thisd anymore. No more. abydos was gone.

He said a silent farewell to the soul no longer housing it, swimming for the surface. Once upon a time, two night furys. One nest. One almost proposed to the other. Had not kahuakhauns followers devastated tat colony, that dream could've cemented reality. Years later, turned evil to protect nona from his fathers hungry eye, nightflight eventually died from her injuries. Her potential mate who did that tentative proposing , abydos, buccaneer freed by that act. Fought, empowered in her fallen honor, to repel the forces of influence on night furys. Being slain by loaw okar should've brought enough pain: the god protector rise a host to control its subjects directly: nightflight. What feling that must've put abydos through to see his would-be mate through so much torture and disrespect, and now one of the moons vengeful leadersd taken her revenge at last one one of the last freedom fighters.

It waes just him. Obuekov undoubtedly mobbed and burned out husk by nightmares by aranidaes trancing her there, nonas impaled gruesomely by deadly nadder taispines trying to pritect innocent haples furys. and now this. Anyudis struck dien by loaw dagnys greed. He knew she had a thirst fir hos death. Now she had it. Just copperwing. Copperwingthefury against an uintild amount pof dangers up there and beyond. a giant lathiuathian out ther uner that white savages control. Him against all that. His furys in wgho knowd ehat stare of panicked dussray. the nightmares didnt know hs parducimernt, and hed rather face perseverins talons then let denix replay tell him shed gladlky help him do tthis together. Wherever in drah=gonsake shed wanderd off to, it was hopeless. He couldn't do this anymore. abydos death was the last straw. it was done. over.

* * *

He fglew at his origination destination this time all alone. No other nest furys. He was too overwhelmed by grief and anger to gather then back. We wit tell you all the laborious streatch the fully exhausted, battered within and within, creature enfoured to finnsly reatch the end of the sea. He **did** make land, that as all his broken senses tolfd him. Once he acco,plished that, entourage-absent, dragon-less, alone, broken-wiled, copperwingthefuryu collapsed on the sands of the semi rocky beach. A lkicing dyseveked wreck. Emotionally spent. Darknes welcomed hos fuzzxy scatterbrained mind with relief. He dudnt tmain there for long. Shapes appeatred diwn from the sky to thumpo diwn. "bud investigate. Wodens beard os that-" "o you poor poor thing. A night fury. Bareky oyt of dragonethood. Wed better get him toi selter. I can sniff a storm coming. He loks like hes een through alot" said toothless the night fury in dragonic.


End file.
